Saturday 4 July marked a new beginning for Warrington’s Walking Day, with an event led by the churches and organisations that have supported it for generations.
The event was a celebration of Warrington’s heritage, and included musical performances from local church groups, alongside a family funfair and a knitted display of bible stories provided by The Salvation Army in Warrington Town Hall.
Now, the council has confirmed £76.8k from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, that will be used to support a year-long project aimed at collecting, recording and celebrating memories, testimonies and future ambitions for Walking Day.
The heritage project will be led by the council, with support from Culture Warrington, churches and communities, and will:
Celebrate Warrington Walking Day’s heritage through a launch event, memory collection, and a culminating exhibition showcasing stories, objects and community contributions
Recruit and train volunteers to support the long-term sustainability of Walking Day, by providing the structure needed to sustain and grow the event
Work with young people, and widen participation through Youth Heritage Volunteers, a Young Curators programme, partnerships with schools and colleges, and inclusive involvement from community and faith groups
Create lasting heritage resources, professionally archive materials and strengthen Warrington Museum and Art Gallery’s collections
Support the Warrington Walking Day Reborn Group with planning for future Walking Days
While the Heritage Fund grant can’t be used to fund costs of the Walking Day event, the memories and stories collected throughout the project will play a role in helping shape how Walking days take place in the future.
Warrington Borough Council deputy leader and cabinet member for communities, culture and leisure, Cllr Jean Flaherty, said: “I’m thankful to Warrington’s many faith organisations that helped make our ‘Walking Day Reborn’ event a success. Our communities came together in support of a special and historic event that I hope will provide the launchpad for preserving Walking Day.
“While our current financial position means that the council had to make the difficult choice to stop funding Walking Day, by working hand-in-hand with our communities and faith groups, this year’s event has been a real success, and it was heartening to see our residents come along to support and enjoy the event.
“I believe the future is bright for Warrington Walking Day. We will use the secured National Lottery Heritage Funding to recognise and celebrate this event that is so special to us, while continuing to support our communities and faith groups to develop a sustainable future model for Walking Day.”
Steph Clemens, museum development manager at Culture Warrington, said: “Warrington Museum & Art Gallery and Archive were delighted to attend Walking Day Reborn and to have so many fascinating conversations about what Walking Day means to our community. Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund project, we’ll be able to reconnect with many of the people we met and record their memories as part of a permanent, accessible Walking Day archive.
“By capturing these stories, we can build a richer understanding of the significance of Walking Day, explore how it has evolved over the years, and help ensure this important heritage tradition continues to thrive for future generations.”
